Collins called recent immigration operations "too sweeping and indiscriminate." She told Maine Public Radio she received calls from constituents afraid and angry because the operation was sweeping up people who are in the U.S. legally.
After Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Janos Lazar is one of the most recognizable politicians in Hungary. In fact, the construction and transpor minister, who regularly makes headlines with racist and belittling attacks on minorities and poor people, is one of the few recognizable politicians within Orban's Fidesz party. He is still remembered for saying years ago that "those who have nothing are worth exactly that." Lazar, who is said to be keen to replace Orban one day, has now created the biggest scandal yet in Hungary's 2026 election campaign.
Hungary's parliament voted in favor of strengthening the president's position in future, a few months before parliamentary elections where longstanding Prime Minister Viktor Orban faces the biggest challenge to his stranglehold on national politics in years. Conservative opposition leader Peter Magyar and his TISZA party currently have a roughly 10-point lead in opinion polls, with a vote likely in April 2026. Hungary's parliament voted 134 in favor of the bill, with 49 votes against and two abstentions, meeting the two-thirds majority needed for the constitutional change.
Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of Brazil's jailed former President Jair Bolsonaro, said his father has chosen him to lead his far-right Liberal Party and run for president in next year's election. "It is with great responsibility that I confirm the decision of Brazil's greatest political and moral leader, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, to entrust me with the mission of continuing our national project," the younger Bolsonaro wrote on X on Friday.
But they've certainly got Democratic operatives and consultants talking even as Padilla and his camp remain loudly mum on the possibility. The focus for California's senior senator, said Padilla spokesperson Edgar Rodriguez when asked about the gubernatorial rumors on Wednesday, remains on California's upcoming special election on redistricting. That's been the party line in the past few weeks, since the rumor mill really started churning, and what Padilla himself has said in recent interviews.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris' announcement Wednesday that she will not run for California governor next year has left the race wide open without a clear frontrunner. For the past eight years, Gavin Newsom has served as governor, and with his second term up, 2026 presents an opportunity for a fresh face to lead the state. There's a large field running of Republicans and Democrats, which includes some well-known figures in the state, but many who voters are not familiar with.
Governor Tony Evers's victory in 2018 over incumbent Scott Walker marked a significant political shift in Wisconsin, emphasizing a move away from an aggressive Republican governance model towards a more democratic approach. Evers's personality and background contributed to his appeal, serving as a contrast to the politically charged atmosphere symbolized by Walker and Trump.
California means to America what America means to the world. Let's make California the land of opportunity again, great jobs, great homes, great kids. Let's make California an inspiration again, the very best of America.
